BHIM app integrated with all banks in India launched by PM

By Regina Dias

As an aftermath of the invalidation of most cash circulated last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of a new app named Bharat Interface for Money – BHIM. The app works on the Country’s Mobile UPI mobile banking platform while the mobile number is used as a payment address. This app aims at substituting the plastic currency and point-of-sale-terminals.

Source: Google Play

How to use the BHIM app?

• Download the app

• Register your bank account with the app

• Thereafter set a UPI Pin for the account (follow the instructions)

• Use your mobile number as payment address. You can also create a custom payment address. 

The greatest advantage of the app is that it works across all banks and there is no need to use separate apps in case of multiple bank accounts. The app enables payments of up to ₹20000 ($300) a day and also supports QR codes which makes it easier for merchants to let customers pay online. UPI aims at facilitating person-to-person and e-commerce transactions.

While it’s only been a week since the launch of the app, customers say that they aren’t finding avenues to use the app. This is mainly because merchants specially the ones operating online are taking time to warm up to the new system.

Well well! We hope these issues can be dealt with asap, so that commoners like you and me can benefit from the uses of the app. 

Source:  Mashable India , The Economic Times 

Watch the fun summary of Zuckerberg’s Jarvis AI

By Regina Dias

Source: Comicbook.com

Mark Zuckerberg introduced his virtual butler yesterday on Facebook in a video post which shows Mark, Priscilla, Max and dog Beast at home in different scenarios where Jarvis can help. The video showcases an idealized version of how the Jarvis system works.

For those of you who don’t know, the whole invention of this AI is inspired from the artificial intelligence system designed by Marvel comics’ Iron Man aka Tony Starks where Jarvis can run voice commands, respond to texts,  run music, operate the air conditioning,  doors, recognize visitors and even shoot t-shirts from a cannon in his closet.

Not just functioning like a robot, Jarvis can also take decisions like whom to tickle next and in the video it was Max. Zuckerberg has bigger plans with Jarvis by not just confining him to the walls of a home. He states, “It could be a great foundation to build a new product” he wrote on a note released on a day prior to the launch of the video post. Read the note here.

He identifies the common obstacles like the absence of common standards for communicating with connected devices, machine learning and the challenges related to speech recognition. However, he also states that challenges lead to greater inventions.

Teaching computers new things is difficult, while they are very good at picking up patterns says Zuckerberg. Everything done by him this year including natural language, face recognition, speech recognition, are variants of the same fundamental pattern recognition techniques. He says even if he spends another 1000 hours more, it won’t be possible to build a system that could learn skills on its own.

In the meanwhile being sweet to his wife Mark posted another video on his timeline showing the kind of patience she displayed while he was busy building the butler. 

Source: Hindustan Times, The Verge

Amazon to launch Cash-Free Convenience stores

No long queue’s, No checkout (No, seriously)

By Regina Dias  

While going cashless is the new big dream here, somewhere on the other side of the globe, Amazon is planning on taking the retail market by storm by launching over 2000 cash-free convenience stores according to The Wall Street Journal. 

Pic Source: CNet

Amazon’s new self-checkout technology called ‘Amazon Go’ will literally allow people to walk-in the store, pick what they want and walk out- no checkout process at all, so no time wasted! 

To test this technology Amazon has opened a 1800 sq ft store it its hometown Seattle – for its employees. If proved successful the store will be open to the general public early next year. Unlike the technology - RFID scanners used in the regular retail stores which are subject to the RFID tags on the products; Amazon Go uses a completely different approach – it uses computer vision & sensors to detect what items are taken outside the store. When walking in, you need to scan the app, do your shopping and the sensors will charge them to your account when walking out of the door and although it feels like shoplifting, remember you are being watched by numerous cameras.

In theory, it sounds fantastic! Now all we have to do is wait and watch for if it does prove successful, it will definitely transform the retail market.

Source: The Wall Street Journal ,  Vox , The Verge

Google’s new Trusted Contacts app turns Smartphone into Emergency Rescue system

Your whereabouts now can be requested and monitored by close family & friends after being added as contacts during potentially dangerous situations

Today, the internet anyway follows us wherever we go - even into dangerous situations.  One’s security is a top priority and many tech firms are thus investing their time and interest in promoting personal safety. Based on this, Google’s Trusted Contacts mobile app lets you connect with your family and friends in case of an emergency.

The app was released on the 5^th of December, 2016 coincidentally after the deadly Oakland, California fire, which led Facebook to activate it safety check feature as quoted by San Jose Mercury News.

How it works ?

The app lets you tag people from your contacts. During an unforeseen emergency like an accident, wildfire or an earthquake or any such event or simply when you are unavailable to talk; it lets you send your location and a message. If you are offline for a long period of time, it can track your last location activities as stated by Minh T. Nguyen, a Google software engineer, in a Company blogpost announcing the launch of Trusted Contacts. According to Google you can turn the location settings down or change the trusted contacts whenever you want if you are worried about privacy.

Looks like there’s lots more than what we have share which can be learnt once you use the app..

Please share your thoughts and views about the app with us…

Source: The Wall Street Journal, The Drum